Monday, July 25, 2016

Essay no. 3 On the Beach part. 2

I am now on the general population side of the beach. Not right by the entrance, but where people start to fan out (as told, 800 meters from the entrance on the right.) I am in the so-called gay section mixed with few breeders. I am all set again, ready to once and for all enjoy the rest of this day on the shore. I am actually enjoying people watching, from the canon of beauty to the beach whale… Wait a minute, how can this man walk around with those, he must be the understudy for Big Ben when the bells are jammed!!! The mind starts to wander, I make up stories about my beach neighbors, I now have a banker interacting with a serial killer sitting next to a closet case with 11 kids. The one coming out of the sea is definitely a flight attendant staying in Montpellier between two flights: his right arm is not moving when walking as if hauling an imaginary carry on bag, force of habits I suppose.
I also notice a man heading to the secluded back of the beach, he stops, turns around for a brief moment while stroking his crotch and off he goes. Less than minute later he is followed by a hunk and then a third. It is indeed the gay section of the beach a mating call ritual followed by a hookup in the bushes. I hope they will be safe and wish them a good time. A minute or two later, the latter returns to his towel (tail between his legs… sorry, I couldn’t resist) oh well better luck next time. Meanwhile the few straight families do not suspect thing.

Wayne and I met on labor day 2000, the unofficial end of the summer. Came June we tried our best to spend most of our days off on the beach. The art gallery I worked for closed on Sundays and Mondays. Wayne was working at BBnB and managed to have at least his Mondays off. At that time we did not spend much time in NJ. Long Island was our playground. The Pines in Fire Island if we had two consecutive days. Johns Beach or Robert Moses for our day trips. On one of our first escapade on John’s beach, while laying down on the hot sand, our eyes met, we both smiled, and something sparked, we ran for the dunes while giggling like school girls. As we tried to find a secluded spot we passed a hunk in a black speedo, he smiled and followed us for a moment. I pretended I didn’t noticed and we kept going to find our own private cozy spot. Ten years later, for a reason or another, we started talking about that day when one of us mentioned “the hunk in the black speedo.” As it happened we both noticed him while pretending we did not. We laughed so hard and shouted in unison; “we could have had a threesome, he was so fucking hot,” even though we both knew (from our previous experience with our exes;) as much as it sounded fun at the time, the outcome could have been disastrous for our couple. Later on “The hunk in he black speedo” popped up man times in our conversations, either to make fun at one another or to keep a healthy fantasy alive.

Half an hour later the two protagonists re-emerge from the Maguelone version of the “Enchanted Forrest”*. The are talking and laughing, they merges their beach accouterments together, seat on the same towel and hold hands. Did a couple form? Did destiny worked its magic and created a love nest for years to come? At least they make me happy, I smile at them, they probably don’t notice me. I imagine them ten years from now, married, happy as a clam, reminiscing about the day they met at the beach on a hot sunny summer day,”Do you remember that guy who followed us in the dunes?” “No I don’t, but I do recall the man with the straw hat smiling at us when we came back...”

*Famous wooded cruising area in Fire Island behind the dunes, located between Cheery Grove and The Pines (make sure to check for ticks afterward, Wayne could tell you a story….)




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